We are seeking a strategic, highly organised, and delivery-focused Strategy & Operations Manager – Partnerships to support and deputise for the Partnerships (Strategy) Lead. This is a dynamic cross-functional role at the heart of MANUAL’s NHS and public sector partnerships — covering everything from strategic planning and stakeholder engagement to implementation, pilot delivery, co-ordination of bid writing, contract management, and business performance tracking.

You will lead operational delivery of new and existing NHS opportunities, oversee high-quality tender submissions, and act as contract manager for commissioned services. You’ll also be responsible for horizon scanning across NHS and private partnership opportunities (e.g. insurers), and for coordinating business review processes to track progress, surface risks, and maintain accountability.

What you’ll do

Strategic & Operational Delivery

• Support and deputise for the Partnerships Lead to deliver the NHS and public strategy roadmap.
• Support and work closely with the Business Development Manager for Partnerships
• Coordinate internal delivery against partnership milestones and proactively surface issues or delays.
• Ensure smooth communication between strategy, clinical, ops, product, and research teams.

Tender Management & Bid Leadership

• Own the tracking, planning, and coordination of public sector tender opportunities (NHS, ICBs, local government).
• Lead the writing and submission of competitive tenders, involving internal experts and external partners as needed.
• Maintain a rolling tender pipeline with clear go/no-go decisions, bid timelines, and readiness checks.

Contract Management

• Act as the contract manager for all NHS contracts awarded to MANUAL.
• Oversee implementation plans, KPI monitoring, risk mitigation, reporting obligations, and stakeholder management post-award.
• Coordinate inputs for commissioner meetings and performance reviews.

NHS Pilot Project Support

• Lead operational support for all NHS pilots, including drafting and managing Project Initiation Documents (PIDs).
• Coordinate service set-up and delivery; manage day-to-day relationships with pilot stakeholders.
• Monitor metrics and produce evaluation reports aligned to pilot outcomes.

Business Review Coordination

• Lead the planning and facilitation of the weekly NHS Weight Loss Business Review.
• Prepare agendas, performance dashboards, reports, and surface key wins, risks, and next steps.
•  Track referrals, engagement, retention, KPIs, and contract performance.
• Stakeholder Engagement & Relationship Management
• Maintain and update stakeholder mapping across NHS England, ICBs, government, regulators, and industry groups.
• Support and track key relationships with commissioners, advisors, and strategic partners.
• Prepare briefing materials, coordinate high-level meetings, and log engagement outcomes.

Horizon Scanning & New Partnerships

• Identify and assess potential new partnerships beyond the NHS, including insurers, corporate health providers, and B2B channels.
• Track developments in health insurance and preventative health policy to inform future growth areas.

Governance, Policy Monitoring & Risk

• Ensure activities align with governance and compliance expectations.
• Monitor NHS policy and commissioning developments; support development of governance-led care models.

What we need from you

• Strategic & Operationally Skilled: Able to work across planning, execution, and monitoring - with high attention to detail.
• Experienced Bid & Contract Manager: Strong record of public sector bid writing and contract delivery.
• NHS Knowledgeable: Confident understanding of NHS structures, commissioning, procurement, and contract governance.
• Structured Communicator: Skilled at producing high-quality documents - from strategic bids to reports and dashboards.
• Stakeholder-Oriented: Experienced in managing complex partnerships and building trusted relationships across systems.
• Proactive & Curious: Always seeking new opportunities, improvements, and ways to deliver better outcomes for patients and partners.

Desirable Experience

• Public sector business development or NHS commissioning delivery experience.
• Familiarity with NHS pilot structures, outcome reporting, and evaluation frameworks.
• Experience leading business review or performance reporting processes.
• Exposure to private health, insurance, or employer wellbeing partnership models.
• Startup or scale-up experience, especially in digital health, public health, or long-term conditions.